Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Worlds 2011 LCQ info up!

Rainbowgym said:
Perhaps when the LCQ takes place in your "backyard", but not when your ticket to "gamble" costs you over $1500.
Click to expand...

Sure, it makes it harder this year, but how has this ever been different?

In the past years, you've had the same costs and still had to go undefeated or only lose once to make the cut. And in those years, you only have one game in each match, so donks were more impacting on your chances.

I'm happy TPCi is telling us this now, and not the day of the event.

That means that people can make their decision now. If they are only going to worlds to compete in the LCQ, they know exactly what to expect and they can choose to take their chances or not.

No player is owed or deserves an invite. Everyone is taking a chance to win an invite. It's always been a gamble.
 
JandPDS said:
This is the single worst decision made since four years ago when they tried to eliminate the grinder all together before Japan got upset about it and rescued it from the trash bin. So now they have got their wish and have destroyed the Grinder so the "riff raff" will stop showing up the World Championships.

I hope they will be happy with all the crying Juniors (and lets face it some Seniors and Masters players) who get faced with an autoloss matchup in the early rounds and then get told that they are no longer going to be allowed to compete. I mean what if you are playing Regigigas and your 1st round is vs Machamp SF or Donphan Prime? For that you deserve to be out of the tournament? We play Pokémon because we enjoy playing the game but they keep limiting our chances to so. Before we could play in more then 2 states and 1 regional’s. Now we can’t. Before we had an end of the year Pokémon Celebration where everyone could go and have one last big event with their decks before the format change, now its gone. Face it the Grinder is DEAD. Yes there is this LCQ Luckfest, but the grand Grinder itself is no more.

I have always told the parents of the new kids in our league (and I help run the largest Pokémon League in Washington State) that one of the "Good" things about playing Pokémon is that the tournaments are all about fun, and playing Pokémon and so even if their children are new to the game and still learning the ropes, they can go to tournaments and have fun playing and after a few rounds they will find some more competitive games as they reach the players of similar skill.

Now with the Grinder being torpedoed into a Yugi-oh style event, what’s next? Nationals takes too long so lets move that to single elimination also?

This is a truly horrible decision and it really seems that Play! Pokemon has finally jumped the shark.

For many people the Grinder was their worlds. It was their one chance a year to play against players from all over the world. And to rip this away from people this late in the season. (Very dubious timing to boot)
is horrible customer service. But again we have the main issue. The leadership at Pokémon does not treat us as their customers, instead the players are treated as employees, and our bosses are the ones that run organized play. It is clearly obvious that no one in charge had any understanding of Customer Service at all.

It is sad the ones in charge diplay the least amount of Spirit of the Game.
Click to expand...

Sorry, you got it backwards. The "big year end party" is Nats. Each region's Nats is their big party. Worlds is set for (and always has been) the best of each country to come together and declare a champ. PUI created the LCQ as a way to round out the field that 1st yr in FL ('04) There are side events and league at Worlds for fun time. You can always find a game @ Worlds in the open play area, the lobby, just about anywhere.

PUI/P!P doesnt "owe you" a LCQ....it is a priviledge.

Keith
 
Well, we all played tournaments that were basically single elimination (for example, 31 players in an age division to top 4 - one loss first round and you're out). We also know that a lot of players who are X-2 at Grinder tend to drop out.

Don't think there's too much difference to the old grinder. Yes, there are two problems - you can face an autoloss matchup, and you can't continue playing after losing even if you really want. But I don't think it makes Grinder more random or unfair - at least, b-o-3 protects you against donks.
 
Prime said:
Sure, it makes it harder this year, but how has this ever been different?

In the past years, you've had the same costs and still had to go undefeated or only lose once to make the cut. And in those years, you only have one game in each match, so donks were more impacting on your chances.

I'm happy TPCi is telling us this now, and not the day of the event.

That means that people can make their decision now. If they are only going to worlds to compete in the LCQ, they know exactly what to expect and they can choose to take their chances or not.

No player is owed or deserves an invite. Everyone is taking a chance to win an invite. It's always been a gamble.
Click to expand...

I know several people from Europe already booked and paid their trip (without knowing if they will earn an invite at all).
The difference is in getting to play a 7-8 rounds tournament (no matter of the record you could play all rounds) in the past and now a gamble on XXXX rounds.

It has always been a gamble if you tried to get an invite that way, but the experience to play against 8 different "nations" was worth it. This new way it isn't.
 
Prime said:
Sure, it makes it harder this year, but how has this ever been different?

In the past years, you've had the same costs and still had to go undefeated or only lose once to make the cut. And in those years, you only have one game in each match, so donks were more impacting on your chances.

I'm happy TPCi is telling us this now, and not the day of the event.

That means that people can make their decision now. If they are only going to worlds to compete in the LCQ, they know exactly what to expect and they can choose to take their chances or not.

No player is owed or deserves an invite. Everyone is taking a chance to win an invite. It's always been a gamble.
Click to expand...

To be fair, there's a BIG difference between "going undefeated" and "losing once" (not counting losses in b2o3). What this event is doing is asking its invitees to go undefeated - something the grinder hasn't required of its participants in six years.
 
Rainbowgym said:
Perhaps when the LCQ takes place in your "backyard", but not when your ticket to "gamble" costs you over $1500.
Click to expand...


This has been the case every single year regardless of single elim or not. Anyone spending the money to come to worlds isn't spending it expecting to win grinders, they're spending the money for a vacation, an oppertunity to hang with your international friends you never get to see, meet new friends from across the sea, taking in the atmosphere of being at the most pristiagous tournament of the year and finally theres the slight oppertunity of qulifing threw grinders for worlds.

No one in there right mind is going to spend $50 in gas, let alone $1500 just to come play in the grinder and leave as soon as the get eliminated.

---------- Post added 03/27/2011 at 04:59 PM ----------
Vulpix Yolk said:
Wow just wow. Pokemon is seriously TRYING to kill off all the competitive players, seriously? Traveling all the way to San Diego than losing 2 games and being out? I don't even want to go to Worlds now, this just sounds nerve racking and a horrible waste of time, way to go POP, you even manged to mess this up.
Click to expand...

I don't understand why we must make this point so many times in this thread.....EVERY SINGLE YEAR if you had lost two games you would not make it through grinders!

With best 2/3 single elimination, you can LOSE UP TO 8 TIMES with an overall record of 16-8 and still make it. Yes it would be slightly riduculous and strenuious if everyone of your game goes to game three, yet the posibility is still there.

and as I just pointed out to rainbowgym....anyone who is making the trip JUST FOR GRINDERS is looking at it from a completly wrong perspective.
 
this is the single worst dicision pop has ever made especially for the juniors plus japan just got hit by a tsunami they problably can maybe afford to go then there qualifiers got cancelled so there screwed
pokemon has made a terrible dicision:mad:
 
Okay, i don't see how juniors are going to be off crying over this. Won't they find out they "weren't good enough" at the end anyway when they don't make top off their loss? All this does is let them cut lose the overly competitve part of the game and go to the side events. If you are afraid of a kid not being able to ahndle being cut from a tournament,t he grinder is not the place for them. That's why there are side events during Worlds. To adhere to the fun sdie of the game, while the Grinder and Worlds goes for the hypercompetitve.

And if you face an autoloss during Grinders, then maybe you should've thought a little harder abotu your deck choice >_>
 
sdrawkcab said:
I don't understand why we must make this point so many times in this thread.....EVERY SINGLE YEAR if you had lost two games you would not make it through grinders!

With best 2/3 single elimination, you can LOSE UP TO 8 TIMES with an overall record of 16-8 and still make it. Yes it would be slightly riduculous and strenuious if everyone of your game goes to game three, yet the posibility is still there.
Click to expand...

I agree with sdrawkcab. Best out of three was a great idea. Being able to lose one match would have been nice, though. I don't think there is anything else worth complaining about other than that. As far as bad pairings are concerned, I feel like most winners of tournaments ride the pairings to the top anyway, is this not what usually happens? If you take your chances playing a deck like mewperior or gigas which (standard lists) take unplayable autolosses to dialga and machamp, that is the gamble you decided to make. Obviously not the play for a single elimination event.

tl;dr: 2/3 is an awesome idea. Allowing one loss would have been a good idea. The grinder's reputation is the toughest and most tear-jerking tournament of the year, single elimination makes sense.
 
PokePop said:
I would guess 1 hour. But that's a guess.
Click to expand...

I do not mind best two of three games. In fact, and being a a native to the whole "grinder" scene, two loses usually means you are not invited into Worlds, either way. Also, best two of three games gives me a redeeming opportunity against a bad opening hand or "donk" scenario--so that is not too much of a problem for me.

I guess what intimidates me--and a majority of dissatisfied posters--is that we do not know how much time we will have play our games. Not knowing the time limit seriously alters the game state which will open up an entirely new, unorthodox, and unfair strategy of winning the game in order for the player to progress to the next round.

In best two of three matches, what would happen if time is called and players are still playing their first game? I assume they will play until after the three turn rules is finished, and the player with the least amount of prize cards is the winner, and there is no need for game two, correct?
 
Last edited:
It's the weekend. I'm sure Pokemon will be happy to state the time limits of the games when they get back in the office
 
Why would there be a need for a time limit for rounds. There are no rounds. You have a bracket set up. You know who to play next. Once you win you register your win. You are then given a 5 - 10 minute break and return to meet your next opponent. If they have not completed their match you have another 5-10 minutes. After 3 wins you get an hour break.

With no time limit there is no gamesmanship. No need to scoop so you have time to play the second game. 3 complete games are played if needed.
 
UFtroll said:
Why would there be a need for a time limit for rounds. There are no rounds. You have a bracket set up. You know who to play next. Once you win you register your win. You are then given a 5 - 10 minute break and return to meet your next opponent. If they have not completed their match you have another 5-10 minutes. After 3 wins you get an hour break.

With no time limit there is no gamesmanship. No need to scoop so you have time to play the second game. 3 complete games are played if needed.
Click to expand...

There is a need for a time limit to keep the LCQ from going until Sunday afternoon!
I've seen untimed matches go for 3 hours.
 
Cyrus said:
To be fair, there's a BIG difference between "going undefeated" and "losing once" (not counting losses in b2o3). What this event is doing is asking its invitees to go undefeated - something the grinder hasn't required of its participants in six years.
Click to expand...

Hmm. I specifically remember instances where only the top 8 were given invites and out of 100+ people, you had to go undefeated to get in. I'm sure that has happened at least in some age groups, within 6 years. Perhaps the instance of Lawman's youngest who lost a single game, but came in 9th place, just under the limit, is a good example.

Also, you don't have to go undefeated. The rounds are best 2-out-of-3. You (and many others) are completely discounting the free loss you're allowed every single round, as long as you win the other two games.
 
The amount of complaining in this thread is utterly disgraceful.

Don't like the rules? No one's asking you to come to the LCQ.
 
What I have really enjoyed about Pokemon is their refusal to allow players just to compete in one event per year, and get to play at Worlds.

Yes, I know, Nationals would be the exception, but given the size of the fields, it is a pretty tough road.

Juniors in the grinder has always been an issue, as they are trying to earn their way into an event their play throughout the year has not allowed them to earn the right to be a part of.

In any other year, I would have had my 5-year old play his T2 Raichu deck for fun.

This year, I am going to encourage him to play league, and do the other fun activities, because the Grinder is not for him. He is just going to be there to have fun.

Back when we had Gym Challenges, pokemon had the issue of winning one event to get to worlds, then the system was corrected.

Maybe we are looking at a change where the grinder will need to be Masters only. If the tournament is going to only be a negative for Juniors and Seniors, then why have it?

Who knows what will come?

Vince
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top